Saturday, March 17, 2012

It's been over 3 years since I've first tried Kogi BBQ and in fact, Founder, Mark Manguera has even referred to me as the first blogger who blogged about them. Click here if you'd like to read that post. Since then Kogi BBQ is now considered the grand-daddy of the gourmet food truck culture in Los Angeles and I'm happy that I was one of the first to write about them.

With the success of Kogi BBQ, Mark has decided to take on a new venture called Snow Monkey and recently dropped me an email giving me the head's up. Along with telling what Snow Monkey was, he also mentioned the Snow Monkey Cares Program where a portion of all proceeds will be donated several times a year to various non-profit and charitable organizations. I love it when companies give back like that. So what's being served at Snow Monkey exactly? Well, what they make is a product that isn't frozen yogurt, that isn't ice cream and as they say, "not your average snow cone".

The way that Snow Monkey is made is that they infuse purified water with a different flavorings, freeze them into cylindrical ice blocks, which they proceed to shave. They will have 6 standard flavors that will be rotated as well as specialty flavors that will pop up every now and then on their menu.

Once you have selected your Snow Monkey flavor, you will have your choice of toppings which can include anything from chocolate pocky to candied bacon to lychee popping boba to crushed fortune cookies and more.

Sauces will also be available like condensed milk, chocolate sauce, strawberry puree, to name a few.

My first taste was the Mango-Lychee topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. As was mentioned, it really wasn't a frozen yogurt, ice cream or snow cone. Instead, it was almost like a creamy pudding with just a hint of an icy texture. It was different, but I liked it and the mango and lychee flavors really shone through.

The Maple flavor was the second one we tried. I actually thought it was way too sweet, but the candied bacon was a big help, but only after we broke it up into pieces and mixed everything together. That helped cut into the sweetness. Perhaps, candied bacon pieces may be a good topping option? I'd certainly go for it.

The last three flavors we tried were just plain with no toppings or sauces. I loved the Taro and the Green Tea; however, I struggled with the Banana Creme flavor. It had a bit of an artificial banana taste that I didn't care for. Apparently, this was a new flavor that they were debuting at this party, so it probably still needs a little more work.

Overall, I think Snow Monkey has a great start. With his past success with Kogi, I'm sure Snow Monkey Founder, Mark Manguera is going to take this business far. If you want to try Snow Monkey for yourself, they currently have a brick and mortar in Canoga Park and as I mentioned earlier, they are also available for catering.

Before I end this post, I have to give a shoutout to the Seoul Sausage Company. They served Spicy Sausage Cheese Nachos which were absolutely delicious. I was hoping to get that Spicy Sausage Sandwich, but they ran out before I go to the front of a very long line. However, their Kalbi Sausage was more than satisfying and while not spicy, was just as juicy and flavorful as the first time I tried it.

If you'd love to try Seoul Sausages and Snow Monkey for yourself, I'm hosting a private party at my home. For more info, please click here!

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About Me

I'm a Dining Group Organizer and Food Blogger who has a passion for all things tasty and absolutely loves setting up culinary outings all over LA! If you'd like to contact me, my email address is abby@pleasurepalate.com.